leporello-js/README.md

# Leporello.js

Leporello.js is an interactive functional programming environment for JavaScript.

[<img src="docs/images/video_cover.png" width="600px">](https://vimeo.com/845773267)

## **[Website](https://leporello.tech)**
## **[Try online](https://app.leporello.tech)**

## Leporello.js is funded solely by your donations

Support us on [Github Sponsors](https://github.com/sponsors/leporello-js) and be the first to gain access to the Leporello.js Visual Studio Code plugin with TypeScript support.

## Features

### Interactive
Your code is executed instantly as you type, with the results displayed next to it. No need to set breakpoints for debugging. Just move the cursor to any line and see what's happening.

### Designed for functional programming
Supercharge your functional code with unprecedented developer tooling.

### Next level debugging capabilities
Visualise and navigate a dynamic call graph of your program in a time-travel manner.

### Develop HTML5 apps interactively
Modify your code and instantly see the updated version without losing the application state. Interact with your app and debug it later, similar to using a time machine.

### Save time when working on IO-heavy programs
IO operations are traced and transparently replayed on subsequent program executions.

### Self-hosted
Leporello.js source code is developed within Leporello.js itself

## Supported javascript subset

Variables are declared using the `const` declaration. The use of `var` is not supported. `let` variables can be declared without an initial assignment, which is useful in cases where the value depends on a condition. Here's an example:
```
let result
if (n == 0 || n == 1) {
  result = n
} else {
  result = fib(n - 1) + fib(n - 2)
}
```

Currently, only a single declaration for a single `const` statement is supported (TODO).

Loops of any kind are not supported. Instead, consider using recursion or array functions as alternatives.

The `if` / `else` statements can only contain blocks of code and not single statements (TODO).

Both traditional functions and arrow functions, with block bodies and concise bodies, are supported. Method definitions, however, are not currently supported.

Classes are not supported at the moment. There is a possibility of supporting some form of immutable classes in the future. The `this` keyword is not currently supported, but the `new` operator can be used for instantiating built-in classes.

`switch` statements will be supported in future updates.

Support for `try`, `catch`, and `finally` blocks is planned for future updates. However, the `throw` statement is currently supported.

ES6 modules are fully supported. Note that circular module dependencies are not currently supported and may lead to IDE crashes (with a TODO for improvement). Import/export aliases are not supported, and exporting `let` variables is also not supported. Additionally, `import.meta` is not currently supported.

`async` functions and `await` are fully supported.

Generators are not supported.

Destructuring is supported.

Some operators are not supported at the moment, including:
  - Unary plus
  - Bitwise operators
  - `in`
  - `void`
  - Comma operator

Certain operators that are not supported are by design, as they are not purely functional. These include:
  - Increment and decrement
  - `delete`

## Importing third-party libs

Sometimes you want to import third party library that uses imperative language constructs. You may want to use it to perform side-effects or maybe it mutates data inside but still provides functional interface (does not mutate function arguments). Good example of such library is [bignumber.js](https://github.com/MikeMcl/bignumber.js/) - it makes a lot of mutating assignments inside, but `BigNumber` instances are immutable.

To use `bignumber.js` you add an `external pragma` before the import:

```
/* external */
import BigNumber from './path/to/bignumber.mjs';
```

`external pragma` is just a comment that contains only the literal string `external` (both styles for comments and extra whitespaces are allowed). Now the module is imported as a black box - you cannot debug `BigNumber` methods.

![External import](docs/images/external_import.png)

Currently every external is loaded once and cached until Leporello is restarted
(TODO change path to modules every time it changed on disk, since modules are
served from service workers).

## IO

To enhance the interactive experience, Leporello.js traces the calls made to IO functions within your application. This trace can be replayed later, enabling you to program iteratively by making incremental changes to your code and promptly receiving feedback.

The current list of built-in functions for which calls are traced includes:
- `Date`
- `Math.random()`
- `fetch`
- `Response` methods:
    - `arrayBuffer`
    - `blob`
    - `formData`
    - `json`
    - `text`
- `setTimeout`
- `clearTimeout`

Leporello.js follows this process to manage IO calls:
- Initially, when the code is run, Leporello.js traces all IO calls, storing arguments and return values in an array as a trace.
- Whenever you edit your code, Leporello.js attempts to execute it, using the results of IO calls from the trace (replay).
- During replay, when an IO call is made, Leporello.js compares the current call to the traced call in the array. It checks if the function and arguments are the same. If they match, Leporello.js returns the result from the trace.
- To compare arguments for equality, Leporello.js uses deep equality comparison with `JSON.stringify`.
- If they do not match, the trace is discarded, and Leporello.js executes the code again, this time without the trace. This process populates a new trace array.

Additionally, there are options to manually discard the trace, including a button and a hotkey for this purpose.

## Hotkeys

See built-in Help

## Editing local files

Editing local files is possible via [File System Access API](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/File_System_Access_API). Click "Allow access to local project folder" to grant access to local directory.

## Selecting entrypoint module

After you granted local filesystem access you can select which javascript file
to run. See the following picture

![Entrypoint module](docs/images/entrypoint.png)

## Selecting html file

By default code in run in context of empty HTML file. If you want to use custom
HTML files with third party scripts or CSS stylesheets, you should choose HTML
file:

![HTML file](docs/images/html_file.png)

In typical HTML5 app you add to your html file a `script` element pointing to
your entry js module, like this:

```html
<script type='module' src='index.js'></script>
```

Because Leporello has built in bundler, you dont point to your entry module in
HTML file. Instead, you [select entrypoint module in
UI](#selecting-entrypoint-module).

If you want to use the same HTML file both for developing in Leporello.js and
in production, you can do it like this:

```html
<script type='module'>
  if(new URLSearchParams(window.location.search).get('leporello') == null) {
    import('./src/index.js');
  }
</script>
```

Leporello.js appends `?leporello` query parameter to your HTML file, so you can
test if HTML file is run in Leporello.js or in production.

You can add javascript libraries by including `script` tag to HTML file. If the library is exposing globals, they will be available in your javascript code after you select that HTML file as an entrypoint.


## Run and debug UI code in separate window

By default your code is run in invisible iframe. If you want to run and debug
UI code then you can open separate browser window. Click "(Re)open run window"
in statusbar or press corresponding hotkey. New browser window will be opened
and your code will be run in that window.

While you interacting with your app in separate browser tab, all function calls
are recorded. You can inspect and debug them.

To try live example, grant file system access to
[./docs/examples/preact](./docs/examples/preact) folder. Then select `index.js`
as an entrypoint and click "(Re)open run window". You will see the app where
you can calculate Fibonacci numbers:

![Entrypoint module](docs/images/fib_ui.png)

Try to click buttons and then get back to Leporello window. Now you can see
that all function calls have been recorded and you can inspect and debug
them:

![Deferred calls](docs/images/deferred_calls.png)

<!--You can even run and debug Leporello.js in Leporello.js! To do this:

- Check out Leporello.js repo and grant local filesystem access to root project directory
- Select `src/launch.js` as an entrypoint
- Select `index.html` as html file
- Click "(Re)open run window"

New instance of Leporello.js will be opened in new browser tab.

The only problem is that both instances of Leporello.js will share the same
localStorage. (TODO - inject localStorage implementation to opened window, that
allows to share localStorage between host Leporello.js instance and window
where code is run)
-->


## Run Leporello locally
To run it locally, you need to clone repo to local folder and serve it via HTTPS protocol (HTTPS is required by [File System Access API](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/File_System_Access_API)). See [How to use HTTPS for local development](https://web.dev/how-to-use-local-https/)

## Running test suite
run tests in node.js:

```
node test/run.js
```

run tests in leporello itself:

![Tests](docs/images/test.png)

- grant local folder access
- select `test/run.js` as entrypoint


## Roadmap

* Use production level JS parser, probably TypeScript parser (so it will be
  possible to program in pure functional subset of TypeScript)
* Implement VSCode plugin